New to our bookshop are some numbered and signed copies of a recent limited publication by David SD Jones entitled Salmon and Sea Trout Angling on Lewis and Harris, Past and Present. The book looks at the fish, principle rivers, fishing hotels, associations, notable anglers and recorded catches throughout the two islands.

The Fhorsa. Considered to be one of the best salmon and sea trout systems on Lewis at the present time, the Fhorsa flows out of Loch Suainebhal into Loch Stacsavat, then takes a course of one and half miles before entering the sea at Uig Sands, near Uig Lodge. The system has a total of fifteen named pools and includes the famous Bruton Stream, which provides one of the few opportunities to catch salmon in salt water.

From 1858 until 1924, the Fhorsa formed a part of the 69,000 acre Uig estate and was fished by the sporting tenants. Since 1924 the fishing rights on the river have belonged to the Uig Lodge fishery and have been used by a succession of owners and tenants, including the well-known author, Arthur Ransome. The current owners, the Green family, not only let out the fishery on a weekly basis together with Uig Lodge through CKD Galbraith of Perth, but also operate a smokehouse which produced the famous Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon.

David also addresses poaching, netting, conservation and a variety of other issues:

Oban Times, 16 October 1886: On Friday last, Alexander Matheson and John William Macleod, fishermen, Valtos Uig, were convicted of having on a night last July place a net across the mouth of the Crowlista River, Uig, for the purpose of catching salmon or sea trout. Kenneth Macdonald, gamekeeper, and another watcher surprised them and several other men while replacing a net, and some of the party ran away. The keepers hauled in a net and found a sea trout in it. The Sheriff found the accused guilty, and fined them 30/- each, or six days imprisonment and declared the net forfeited.